Getting knocked down just makes ya try harder

Last week I remembered that soccer season was coming up.  I looked up the info, called the number I was supposed to call and got a voicemail.  I left my name and number and within a coupla minutes received a text message that registration was closed.

I didn't want to take no for an answer.  So I emailed my friend, Mandy, whose husband, Ty,  is very involved in the soccer-ness and within minutes my kid was placed on a team.

And then Ty tells me that the coach for the team is a little...on the intense side.  He's serious about his soccer.

Josh and I are totally fine with that.  She's gotta learn sometime, right?

At the first meeting her coach shows them the warm up drill they'll do at every practice.  This includes jumping jacks.  Which Sugar cannot do to save her life.  (apparently the poor child inherited my rockin' athletic abilities)  The coach pulls her away from the other 4 girls and tries to show her.

To no avail.

"Okay you just confused. That's okay."

So we came home and Josh worked with her on her jumping jacks.

Then Tuesday came and it was time for the first practice and my poor girl was completely lost.  And the coach tells Josh we have a lotta work to do.

Josh worked with her on Wednesday night and then last night was her first game.  Yes, one practice and then game time.

Oh.

Bugger.

I was all sorts of a mess all day worrying about the game.  Sugar?  Chill.  Of course.

27. 2 + 7 = 9. Perfect. (i have # issues, remember?)

Then it was time for the pre-game pep talk. Some one on one time with the best coach of all.  Daddy.

"I love you. I'm proud of you. Now go kick ass."

Kidding.  I don't think he said that last part.  At least not to her.

Then it was time for the pep talk from the coach. And a cheer for the opposing team.

Then it was game time!  Let's get down to business!

"So, what do you think we're supposed to do?"

"Uh, I dunno."

Standing around is awesome.

Then the girls decided to play.

This is serious business, dude.

She gets those long legs from me..  Whaat?

This girl rocked. Fast. Tough. Determined. & she brought snacks.

Sugar got knocked down pretty early on.  When she got up, Josh was concerned she was comin' up swinging.  She got so determined after that!  In all, Sugar ended up scoring 5 goals.  Yes, five!  A kid who can't do jumping jacks can score!  Her coach was impressed and told us at the end of the game that she had built confidence and did well.

For as hard as he is on the girls, he's super encouraging too.

My favorite part of the game.

Such a fun game to watch.  We're not supposed to keep score but our team totally killed 'em won.

Can't wait for next week!

Summer Rewind Part 2

If you missed Part 1, here she is.

13 years.

Sigh. All clean. Needed to be folded.

I'm the girl who takes pics of engines.

Promise.

My heart belongs here.

My favorite pair of shoes.

Two of my favorite people.  Ever.

The best thousand bucks I've ever spent.

And when we're lazy, we use this.

Straight lines.  Every time. (with the walk behind mower)

Oh. Sweet. Sister. How I love you.

"Look happy!"

Baby wedgie.

Time alone w/my man.  And a Corona.

Chillin' on the picnic table.

The only time it's quiet in our home.

We've had 4. He's the best by far. We love him. Like crazy.

Routine bloodwork.

My heart loves a rainy day.

More to come!

Summer Rewind Part 1

I kinda just skipped over summer without blogging too much about it.

However, I do have pictures because I pink puffy heart pictures.  So, I'll post some pictures with a brief(ish) explanation.  And warning...there's a whole lotta pictures.

My burnt skin. 'nuf said

Spice ran into my w/her bike. This is my elbow.  It hurt.

Small amount of laundry but hated it anyway.

Sangria.  Be still my heart.

Our playground.

Munchkins and me. Facing the sun.

Sugar's 6th birthday breakfast.

This is me wondering how the hay she got to be six.

Sweet, dirty face. Playing on our rope swing.

Sugar's 1st day of swim lessons was on her birthday!

Per her request, we went boating for her birthday. No party.

Family boat shot. {and swim suit too..sigh..}

Date night with my mother.

She dared me to use this purse for the evening. 

2 hrs outside w/romance novel and green tea. Good day.

What my hair looks like after 50 miles with the windows down.

Smiling BEFORE the 90 mile bike ride.

My legs afterward. Bruised. Wanted to die.

I think we're at Miner's here but I'm not sure.

Child labor.  I like it.

and not to be outdone...

So.  There's some stuff from summer.  Not much.  Into July.  I'll post Part 2 tomorrow.

First Day of School Post

So, today is the first day of school.  And I'd post a picture but one child has no shirt on and the other is stuffing her face full of lunch.

(which is hashbrowns and tomatoes)

(i need to grocery shop)

(obviously)

In case anyone cares and most likely you don't but whatever...here's a list of curriculum we've chosen this year.

First Language Lessons of the Well Trained Mind
Explode the Code (this works on handwriting and phonics)
Singapore Math 1A and 1B
Story of the World for History (loving this book just from glancing through it to lesson plan)
Apologia Flying Creatures for Science
For Art any projects that we have for Science and History will fall under that.
Music?  I'm thinking I'll blast a little Rihanna and maybe some Veggie Tales music.  We want to keep the music diverse, broaden their horizons and all..
Health: I have a large poster hanging on the fridge with a skeleton on it.  She better know all 206 bones by the end of the year.  (are there 206?  i forget...)  (oh, and I'm kidding, she doesn't have to have them all memorized)  Of course we talk about the importance of washing hands, brushing teeth and taking baths.  We'll work on nutrition as soon as I don't eat a Snickers everyday for lunch..
Bible time will be at bedtime as part of our family time.

We're looking at about 2-2.5 hours per day.  I'd like to get it all done before lunch but with the schedule I've made, if we're going slow or need to make a coffee run we can always do school work after nap time.

Here's a look at the schedule I made last night:

Definitely a rough draft since I'm sure we'll need to tweak it to find out what works best for us.  For now, that looks good to me.

Josh and I talked about a bit of a reward system to encourage Sugar.  We decided for any extra work she does above and beyond a regular school day, she'll be allowed that many minutes of television.  Sugar likes her t.v. time.

Okay, so that's all I have time for right now, I have a kitchen to clean from lunch and a hashbrown to eat and two giggly little girls that I need to read a story to before nap time.

Questions about how we're going to run our school this year that I haven't covered?  Ask 'em in the comments and I'll answer later this week.

Sarah's gettin' her groove back

Summer's over.

Strangely the weather 'round these parts is getting warmer.

It's been a strange season - this summer.  And not just the weather but this season of my life.

None of it I'm proud of.  Well, besides the fact that I've survived it.  We've survived it.  My husband, my kids.  Myself.

I've hardly written and when I have, it's been meh.  I've been awful at keeping up with our lives.  I'm just trying to survive my days.  I'm just trying to make it to bed time.  When I think about writing stuff out - I sigh.  Do I really wanna journal these days?  Do I want to remember them?  Do I want to write about my poor decisions, my selfish heart, the yelling, the laundry pile, the kids who haven't had a bath in a few days, the husband who continually gets up in the mornings alone to make his own breakfast?

Do you really want to know this crap?  Do I want to remember it years down the road?

I just don't think so.

The last few days, though emotionally and physically taxing - have been good.  My heart and my mind are going a thousand different directions at once - but it's good.  I know it doesn't make sense.  Without throwing up the inside of my thought process I know it's difficult for anyone to understand.  I just think that after several months of fog, I have a bit of clarity going on.

The fog is lifting.

The weight is lifting.

I'm hopeful.

In the midst of myself.  My failures...and oh, there are so many...I have hope.

I can't change the bad wife and mama I've been for several months, I can't get that time back and do it better.  I can only do better from here on out.

So.  Even though life is about to get so very full with a new year of home schooling and our first season of soccer for Sugar, I do hope to blog more.  Whether it's good...or bad.  I'll lay it out here.